A Slayer Unexpected
by Leprechaun's Fairy
Summary: The summer before Sixth Year finds Hermione experiencing some major changes and she finds help in the most unlikeliest of sources. Then school starts, a group of Californians arrive at Hogwarts and things just get even more complicated. (Note: I moved Harry and the gang's Sixth Year to 2003 to make it match up with the series finale of Buffy.)
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: In order to make this story work the timelines of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Harry Potter need to be finagled a little bit. So I'm putting Harry and the gang's Sixth Year in 2003 to make it match up with the series finale of Buffy.

Another change is that the Harry Potter gang is spending the summer at Grimmauld Place, not the Burrow.

I hope you all like it and that I didn't forget anything important. Mixing Harry Potter and Buffy was fun but kind of stressful!

* * *

 **"From now on, every girl in the world who might be a Slayer will be a Slayer. Every girl who could have the power will have the power."- Buffy Summers, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Season Seven, "Chosen"**

 _The first hint Hermione had that anything was different was during a morning Ancient Runes class in May. She'd been deep in thought doing a translation when she'd felt a jolt, like someone had danced cold fingers along her spine. She hadn't known what had happened but suddenly she'd felt like she could do anything. And the quill that had been in her hand had snapped in half._

 _Plenty of little things had happened in the weeks after that but nothing stuck out as much as a moment during the battle at the Department of Mysteries where she'd been half tempted to drop her wand and fight with her fists._

 _And then summer hit and within a week of Hogwarts letting out she found herself holed up at Grimmauld Place with none other than Draco Malfoy, a guest placed there for his protection._

Hermione paced the library floor, frustrated as hell. She'd been at Grimmauld Place for ten out of fourteen days of the summer holiday (she'd spent the first four at home) and she hadn't slept a full night since. She kept waking up at all hours with the feeling that there was something she needed to be doing. Only there couldn't be because her "to do" lists were written and meticulously completed every day.

"But it has to be something!" she muttered to herself.

A low chuckle behind her had her spinning around, one hand flying forward in a punch while the other rose to protect her face from retaliation.

The chuckler ducked just fast enough that her knuckles brushed his jaw but didn't hit directly. The force behind the move combined with the shock (since when did she try to hit people and what was _he_ doing in the library?) had her falling forward.

Her brain nearly short circuited when he reached out as though to prevent her fall and she spun away only to land in a crouch, one leg poised to sweep his out from under him.

Draco Malfoy just crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at her. "Suddenly I'm rethinking my decision to help you."

Hermione slid up from her crouch, not half as gracefully as she'd fallen into it. Malfoy had been at the safe house longer than she had that summer, and on Dumbledore's invitation, but this was only the second time she'd actually seen the blonde. "Help me with what?" she asked.

"You haven't been sleeping at night, you're increasingly violent, you've broken a few things here and there," Malfoy checked off on his fingers. "Sound about right to you?"

"You've been watching me."

Malfoy shrugged and threw himself onto one of the armchairs Mrs. Weasley had magically cleaned and reupholstered the summer before. "Yes and no. I've been observing and comparing."

Hermione felt her heart stop and then race forward again. Was it possible that Malfoy knew what was wrong with her or was he just messing around? "What do you know about it?" she nearly growled.

Malfoy idly traced the patterns on the chair with his fingertips. "The library at Malfoy Manor is so much larger than the one Sirius maintained here but he has a few things we did not. Namely the personal effects of some of the family members my parents would never actually claim as family."

"Squibs and blood traitors," Hermione murmured, thinking of the tapestry she'd seen in one of the other rooms. The family tree had been extensively and brutally pruned but Sirius had made a point to collect as many items as he could from the relatives his mother had tried to obliterate.

"Exactly," Draco nodded. "And my favorite item so far is the diary of a long dead uncle named Aurelius Black."

Hermione was intrigued despite herself. "Why is he so important? And what does this diary have to do with me?" she asked as she perched on the edge of a chair right across from the one Malfoy was seated in.

"Aurelius Black wasn't just an ordinary Squib. He was a Watcher."

Hermione frowned. "I don't want to know about the voyeuristic tendencies of your ancestors."

"Not what I meant Granger," Malfoy huffed then smiled. "So I take it that even with all the time you spend in libraries you haven't come across the legend of the Vampire Slayer?"

"Obviously not," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes. "Get on with it then if you're so smart."

"In every generation…"

Draco had spent hours telling Hermione the stories and showing her the diary of his many times great uncle and yet she still didn't believe him.

"There's just no way Malfoy, that out of all of the girls in the world, anyone would choose me to protect it."

Malfoy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "First of all, the Slayer isn't chosen because she's a kick-ass martial artist or something, she's just picked, oftentimes with no warning. And secondly, you've been helping Potter save the world for years. You're actually more qualified than many other females."

"That's the biggest fault I find in this legend of yours," Hermione said. "It's not logical that there are so many vampires and demons and evil entities threatening to take over the world but there's only one girl to fight said evil. And that one girl may be thirteen years old and scared of her own shadow! Not the brightest plan, is it?"

"I never said it made sense," Malfoy pointed out. "But it explains why you're all antsy and trying to hit me."

"Not like it's the first time I've smacked you across the face," she shot back.

"You got me there," Malfoy admitted. "But this time you barely touched me and yet it hurt like a bitch."

Hermione allowed herself a little smile when she looked at Malfoy a little closer and saw the bruise blossoming along his jaw line. "Why are you even telling me any of this?"

The look on Malfoy's face soured and he sneered. "I'm a Malfoy," he spat. "I was raised to be my father's son, dark and uncaring. Everyone assumes I want to, and will be, just like him. That's why I'm here and offering to help you. I don't want to be a Death Eater."

Hermione gave him an appraising look. "You want to redeem yourself by helping me."

Malfoy stared right back. "But I can only do that if you'll let me."

Hermione broke eye contact first. "What about guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part Humans? Even if I believed you I couldn't legally slay a vampire anyways."

Malfoy started shaking his head before she'd even finished posing the question. "Not the same. There are vampires with souls and those without. Those with a conscience and those without. You slay the bad ones."

"And I'm supposed to know the difference how?"

Malfoy's eyebrows rose. "Isn't it obvious? The good ones won't try to kill you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you for all the follows and reviews and such so far! I hope you're all enjoying the ride. I know that Hermione and Malfoy spending so much unsupervised time together is a little unbelievable but I also picture that, every summer, Hermione insists on spending hours studying and I can't imagine Harry and Ron would want to take part in that more than once or twice.**

 **Now onto "Chapter Two" and, finally, the appearance of the good ole Scooby gang! Hopefully I kept the Californians pretty true to character ;)**

* * *

Malfoy didn't let Hermione out of the house to "patrol" as the Watcher's put it until she could best him in a fight. Of course that only took two middle of the night training sessions in an out of the way room that Hermione had enchanted with sound proofing and anti-Apparition spells . Malfoy may have been a pretty good fighter (he'd trained himself one summer when his father was particularly cruel and threatened to "beat him like a Muggle if he didn't shape up") but Hermione's strength and instinct won out after just a few days of training.

"One thing in your favor," Malfoy said as they slipped out the front door and Apparated to a nearby graveyard they'd found on a map of the area. "You can always fall back on your magic. Honestly, I have no idea why they didn't make it so all Slayers are witches too. Evil wouldn't stand a chance."

"That's probably why," Hermione mused as she palmed the wooden stake in her hand. It really wasn't all that different from holding a wand other than the width. That and the fact that she was supposed to stab it through the heart of an undead creature. "You can't have any light at all unless you have some darkness. Cosmic balance and all that."

She'd just finished her sentence when a figure jumped out from behind a tombstone and tackled her. She instinctively flipped the person and straddled their legs, pointing her stake like a wand. But she hesitated because the thing under her looked human.

"Uh, Malfoy?" she called, seeking reassurance. Before he could respond the thing's face (and now she knew it was a _thing_ ) shifted, all fangs and lumpy forehead and it kicked her off its body.

She tucked her body and rolled, not stopping until her shoulder crunched against a low grave marker. The pain didn't put her down for the count. No, it just made her angry.

Hermione jumped to her feet and this time when the vamp lunged at her she didn't hesitate. She jammed the stake into his heart and tried not to inhale when he exploded into a cloud of dust.

She was about to cheer when she heard a dull thump and Malfoy landed near her feet. She leapt over his prone body, landing a kick right in the face of another of the bloodsuckers. She had him staked and turned to dust before she landed back on solid ground.

Malfoy choked and sat up. "Dear god, is every night going to be like that?" he groaned.

Hermione smiled, her heart pumping hard. "I can only hope so."

* * *

California

Rupert Giles's announcement was met with first silence and then with a chorus of very loud outbursts.

"This better not have anything to do with the Council. Which I guess it can't because they're pretty much all dead."

"How can I get an education at a magical school? Not that I'm complaining because that sounds awesome but you do remember that I'm not a witch, right?"

"So will this school be like the coven I went to after I went dark that one time?"

"Great. Finally get to do some international travel and see the sights now that I only have one eye."

"It has been awhile since I terrorized someone closer to home."

Giles sighed. "No, this has nothing to do with the Council. Dawn, there will be a few classes you can take with the other students but most of your work will be independent study. These witches and wizards will be very different than any you've ever met before. I am sorry about your eye Xander but even in the magic world there's nothing that can be done to fix it and Spike? You still have your soul so stop acting like an...well to be frank, you're being a right pain in the arse. Any other questions?"

Willow raised her hand. "How do you even know anyone at this school?"

"My great aunt is the librarian there. We haven't been that close over the years but now the wizarding world is facing a foe that is neigh on unbeatable and there are rumors that he's found a way to take magic away from his enemies. They'd be defenseless if that were to happen."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "So you want me to teach a bunch of powerless teenagers how to fight. Gosh Giles that sounds like something I just did a couple of months ago."

Giles took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well they aren't exactly powerless what with the magic and all. And you would not be teaching them alone. Spike and I will be assisting you. And did I mention that you'll be paid? All of us will be paid for doing various jobs around the school, like Xander who will be working with the professor in charge of handling the magical creatures." Whatever else he was about to say was drowned out by Xander's shrieks.

"After dying twice and averting a dozen apocalypses I'm finally getting paid to be a Slayer? Woo hoo," Buffy joked.

"What will they be paying me to do exactly?" Willow asked. "I kind of missed that part since I couldn't hear over Xander's cries of fear."

"Happiness and wonder, Wills. Cries of happiness and wonder," Xander insisted. "I'm super happy that I'm going to be working with monstrous creatures that could easily take out my other eye."

"The current Care of Magical Creatures professor has held the position for over a year and he hasn't sustained any lasting injuries. Of course he's also half-giant himself…well anyways." Giles shuffled through the papers he'd been sent, not looking up to meet anyone's eyes because he knew they'd be staring at him in surprise. "Willow, it looks like you will be helping out the Potions professor. A man named Severus Snape."

Xander snorted. "That's definitely a bad guy name. You'll have to watch your back Willow."

"We leave the twentieth of August so have your bags packed well before then. You are dismissed for now."

He watched as the gang dispersed throughout Angel Investigations where they'd ended up after the destruction of Sunnydale. It was also the place where the locket that had contained Spike, soul intact, had been sent and opened allowing him to reappear whole and well less than two weeks after he'd sacrificed himself to save them all.

They'd survived a lot but now they would be up against something quite different.

"The wizarding world is doomed," Giles muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Sorry that I took so long to update this story! Not to make excuses or anything but I'd say I have a pretty good one since last Friday I moved to a new town and then I started a new job yesterday so it's been a little crazy!**

 **Well anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Hermione tried to smile as more and more people piled into their train compartment. She had to keep reminding herself that she was being surrounded by friends and not enemies.

It was also uncomfortable because she was forced to admit, silently and to herself, that a good chunk of her anxiety was caused by uncertainty. Who knew when she'd get a chance to go slaying again? And how could she keep meeting Malfoy in secret when Harry had the Marauder's Map?

But then Neville rushed into the compartment and he shattered all her other worries with one sentence. "I just heard that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is a vampire!"

Hermione froze at the thought. Surely if a vampire had been hired on he was one of the souled and controlled variety but she'd yet to meet one of that kind. Would that be enough to curb her now natural reaction to vampires which was "see a vampire, kill a vampire" or would she be spending her DADA classes fighting the urge to turn her professor into dust?

Ron tapped her on the shoulder, knocking her out of her thoughts and nearly getting himself knocked out for his efforts. (When she was distracted she instinctively reacted to everything as though it were a threat.) "What? What is it?" she asked.

Ron just raised an eyebrow and pointed to the clock on the compartment wall. "Prefects meeting. Don't you like to get to those at least ten minutes before they start?"

"That's true. But first let me grab a quill and some parchment in case we have to take notes."

Ron sighed in exasperation as she stood and rifled through the bag she'd stashed in the overhead compartment. "You know those are always provided at the meeting."

"Yes, well you never know when someone will forget. Besides, I prefer writing with a specific brand of quill that not everyone else uses," she said even though she knew neither excuse really made any sense. They were all witches and wizards so if someone forgot something it would be easy enough to Summon the supplies or even Transfigure them from something else.

But of course she wasn't actually looking for just any old quill or scrap of parchment. She was looking for one of the stakes she'd Transfigured into a quill with the additional upgrade of a Protean Charm that connected it with Malfoy's tie clip so that they could silently communicate, at least to an extent.

"Okay, now we can go," Hermione cheerfully announced once she'd sent her Watcher a message telling him that they had to meet up as soon as he could escape his Slytherin friends.

The Gryffindor prefects left the compartment together but only minutes later Hermione found herself making an excuse to get away from the Weasleys. "I just need to slip into the loo for a minute. No need to wait for me, I'll be right along," she said. As soon as Ron and Ginny had turned around she snuck into the cubicle Malfoy had just flagged her from.

"I suppose your lying skills aren't horrible but they do need work if we're going to meet during the school year," Malfoy said once she'd secured the door.

"You couldn't have met me in a place that would be easier to explain away if we got caught?" Hermione hissed, completely ignoring his commentary on her lying skills. "An empty compartment or a closet maybe but not the loo! If anyone catches us here they'll assume there was a romantic assignation going on."

"Romantic?" Malfoy snorted. "Merlin, you must be pretty hard up if you think a loo is romantic."

Hermione couldn't stop her face from flaming bright red. "That's not what I…never mind. Did you hear about the new Defense professor?"

"That she's a perky American blonde?"

Hermione's brow furrowed. "I heard it was a vampire."

Malfoy frowned as well. "That's odd. I wonder which rumor is true."

An announcement during the Welcome Feast made it clear that both rumors were true and it spurred Hermione and Malfoy to meet in the Room of Requirement even at the risk of Harry looking at his map and noticing were they were both headed.

Hermione arrived first and nearly had a hole worn in the carpet by the time Malfoy arrived.

She lashed out the second he stepped into the sitting room that had appeared for her. Apparently even the room had known she was too keyed up to work on her fighting skills. "What took you so long?"

Malfoy didn't respond until he'd made himself comfortable in one of the armchairs. "I can't exactly say 'excuse me while I go play Watcher to Granger's Slayer.' Unless you want the cat out of the bag."

Hermione glared at him. They'd already discussed the reasons why they needed to keep her new role as Slayer a secret, primarily because even though Harry and the Weasleys had spent the whole summer with Malfoy, they still didn't trust him. If they found out about the whole unofficial Watcher/Slayer thing they'd probably try and put a stop to it.

"Sorry that I'm worried about the fact that another Watcher, another Slayer and a vampire are at Hogwarts! Especially since you told me there's only supposed to be one Slayer at a time!"

Malfoy sighed. "That's what everything I've read said but who knows? Maybe it's changed since Aurelius was a Watcher."

"What do we do now? Do we tell them? I'm thinking we shouldn't," Hermione rambled. "They'd surely tell the Watcher's Council and I don't want the Council meddling in our affairs."

Malfoy nodded his agreement. Aurelius's diary had mentioned the Watcher's Council, the governing body for Watchers and Slayers, and how many rules they'd had and enforced. Slayers and Watchers weren't to get emotionally attached and could be reassigned if they did. Slayers could and would be tested however and whenever the Council chose. All very invasive.

Hermione finally sat down and pulled her feet up underneath her. "It was already going to be hard enough to hide this. How are we going to when we are literally going to be learning hand to hand combat in Defense?"

That had been part of Dumbledore's welcoming speech. An announcement that DADA classes would now contain a physical element because the Order had gathered intel that Voldemort was researching spells that would take the use of magic away from his enemies. He didn't want the student body defenseless if that were to happen and while the ability to throw a punch wouldn't deflect a major curse it might at least throw the Death Eaters off their game a bit if they had to worry about someone's knuckles.

"You weren't good at riding a broom," Malfoy said slowly. "So it would be very believable that you would also…not excel…at something physical like fighting. You'll have to avoid public displays if you can and pretend you can't do it if you can't get out of it."

"I hate being bad at things," Hermione grumbled.

Malfoy talked over her. "And we need to practice Occulmency. No point in going to so much trouble to hide something if someone can just peer in our heads and see all our secrets anyways."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Okay, here it is! The next installment in the epic Harry Potter/Buffy saga. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Buffy nervously bounced on the balls of her feet as the Sixth Year students made their way into what had to be the weirdest classroom ever. It was huge, with two sections that looked like they did not belong together. One side had proper classroom seating and an old fashioned chalkboard while the other half looked like a training center with punching bags, mats, and even weapons displayed on the walls.

She noticed the tension the second everyone had taken their seats and Giles shut the door. (He had to have been keeping a running tally as the students arrived to have known when they were all there.)

And apparently Spike was feeling tension too. "Is there a reason it feels tenser in here than that time Dru˗"

"Believe it or not, I do not want to hear what is surely a very depraved reference," Giles murmured back. "But yes. This class is comprised of Gryffindor and Slytherin students. If you looked through the informational packets you'd remember˗"

"That Gryffindors and Slytherins are like the two warring families in Romeo and Juliet," Buffy interrupted.

"Well I guess that means it'll be easy to convince them to start hitting each other," Spike snorted.

Buffy sighed and finally turned to address the class. "Good morning. My name is Buffy Summers and I will be teaching you Defense along with the help of Rupert Giles and Spike here. During my classes you will not be using magic to fight but your intellect and your fists. You are expected to take this seriously because, as your headmaster explained, a war is coming and it sounds as though your opponent plans on taking away your magic. Your lives may depend on your ability to throw a punch or dodge a spell."

Buffy, Giles, and Spike spent most of the class explaining how they were each qualified to teach. (Buffy's history as a Slayer, Giles's as a Watcher, and Spike's as first a soulless vampire and then an ensouled one.) Then Buffy had each of her students introduce themselves, starting with her sister who looked more than a little embarrassed. And then Giles moved the class along.

"Throughout this school year you'll learn not only hand to hand combat but light weapons training and exercises that will increase your flexibility and reflexes," Giles said as he paced the floor in front of the class. "Now I would like everyone to stand up and when one of us walks by I'd like you to show us how you would throw a punch. You won't actually be hitting anything but your form will be a good indicator of where we have to start your training."

The class did as they were told, some clearly more enthused than others as the professors made the rounds and notes as each student punched the air.

"Next class we'll do a demonstration," Spike announced once all the students had been evaluated and sat back down. "We will have you take notes on what forms of martial arts we use so flip through your textbooks and look at diagrams if you haven't already."

Buffy nodded her agreement. "Class dismissed."

Once the students were gone Buffy, Giles, and Spike met at the front of the classroom with marked up class rosters in hand. The sheets had notes from the evaluation as well as insider knowledge from the headmaster himself.

"Anyone stand out?" Giles asked.

Buffy slid up onto the teacher's desk, frowning at the clipboard in her hand. "Potter has good form. He knows how to protect his fingers but he's too tense along the shoulders. Parkinson looked like she was posing for a photo shoot instead of preparing to really fight and Granger…well I don't think she's going to be at the top in this class."

"Finnegan has potential but I think Longbottom needs a confidence boost along with plenty of training. Poor kid acted scared of his own shadow," Giles chimed in.

"Crabbe and Goyle have brute force but no form," Spike added. "Malfoy has almost perfect form but he's a little git. He sneered at me. He does have awesome hair though."

"So basically we have some potential and lots of attitude," Buffy sighed. "Once again Giles, I have to say, didn't we just do this?"

The next time Hermione saw a member of the California crew was in Potions class the next day where, as usual, the Gryffindors were paired with the Slytherins. That much hadn't changed even though DADA had. Another change? The addition of a little red haired witch who looked way too happy to be in Snape's shadow.

"If you are in my classroom it means you have somehow managed to pass your OWL through skill or the pull of a family name." (Snape, of course, glared at Harry as he said that last bit.) "I would have preferred to only accept those of you with the highest of grades but, alas, the Headmaster overruled me. Just be aware that you will have to work extraordinarily hard to receive passing marks this year."

"I would have been more than okay with not being here," Ron muttered.

Harry poked him with a quill. "Aurors, Ron. We need Potions if we want to be Aurors."

Hermione tuned them out just in time to hear the red haired girl whisper to Snape. "Are you going to introduce me now?" When he didn't answer the girl rolled her eyes and stepped in front of him.

"Hi! I'm Willow Rosenberg," she announced. "I will be assisting Mr…Professor Snape with this class so if you have any questions you can always ask me if he's busy."

"How can you help at a magic school if you're a Muggle?" Malfoy drawled. The snarky question made Hermione roll her eyes. It was so odd to have gotten so close to Malfoy in private yet have him continue to be an arse in public. But he had to keep up his reputation after all.

Willow's eyes narrowed. "I may not have gone to a fancy school like you're all attending but I am a witch. Just a different kind of witch."

Hermione couldn't contain her curiosity. "How so? What sort of powers do you have?"

"I can do glamours to cover acne, and do astral projection. I once re-ensouled a vampire. Lost a lover and nearly destroyed the world. And I brought Buffy back to life after she died that second time."

Even Snape gaped at Willow in shock. "You mean you brought your friend back to life in some Muggle way that just seemed magical," the dark haired professor sneered.

Willow shook her head. "No, I used magic. She'd been dead for a few months when I finally got it to work. Oh, and I also made it so every potential Slayer was activated at once instead of one at a time. Made it much easier to fight a vampire army."

Hermione barely even heard the part that was relevant to her because she was focusing on Harry. She knew he'd be hurt that, apparently, there really were people in the world who could bring the dead back to life.

Only Harry wasn't the only one really affected by Willow's revelation.

Snape's voice was ice cold. "Get out of my classroom," he commanded.

Willow's hesitant smile fell. "What? Why Did I say something wrong?"

Snape just glared. "Liars are not welcome here."

"I didn't lie and if you think I did…" Static electricity crackled in the air around Willow and she tightened her fists. "Can't you just look into my mind and see that I'm telling you the truth?"

Snape stepped towards her and roughly put his hand on her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his. Less than a minute later he pulled away and swept out of the room.

Willow offered the class a shaky smile. "The first potion in your textbook looks interesting. Why don't you start with that one?"

The class did as they were told but even the Slytherins were stunned into silence.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note: I just want to thank you all so much for the support you've shown thus far! And here is the next installment. I hope you enjoy it even though it's a little on the short side!**

 **And let's just say, Xander's curse strikes again!**

* * *

No one even hinted at Willow Rosenberg's Potions announcement until the following day when the Gryffindors, once again paired with the Slytherins, walked to Care of Magical Creatures.

"Isn't that one eyed bloke supposed to be helping out with this class?" Ron asked as they walked through the grounds. "What kind of surprise do you suppose he has up his sleeve?"

"He can probably time travel without a Time Turner or something," Harry muttered, clearly still smarting over the fact that resurrection magic really did exist.

When they neared Hagrid's hut they heard a garbled cry so Harry, Ron, and Hermione picked up the pace. The trio froze when they saw what awaited them.

A sphinx (Harry could only assume it was the same one from the Tri-wizard Tournament) paced in a paddock that she could clearly very easily escape from. She was pacing her enclosure, following wherever the one eyed Californian man walked. Hagrid stood off to the side chuckling.

"She won't hurt ya!" the large man chortled.

"That's not what I'm worried about," the other guy shouted back, freezing when he saw the class approaching. He stayed in the same spot until the last students (Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle) arrived and then Hagrid motioned for him to join him right in front of the paddock gate.

"Good mornin' class! Today you'll be learnin' and interactin' with Tari who, as you can see, is a sphinx. We'll also be helped out by Xander Harris from the States," Hagrid announced.

The sphinx stopped right behind where Xander was standing, placing her front paws on the fencing. "My full name is Nefertari," she whispered to him only her voice was so deep and rumbly that everyone heard.

"Thank you for sharing that with me Nefertari but this is a class. I'm pretty sure Hagrid wants you to talk to the students, not me," Xander admonished.

Hagrid didn't seem to notice that both his assistant and the sphinx were preoccupied and he continued to try and teach his lesson. "She is definitely a fearsome creature and could easily tear yer eyes out but she ain't likely to attack any of you today. Can anyone tell me why?"

Hermione's hand shot into the air even though she, like everyone except Hagrid, had their eyes on the sphinx. "Sphinxes enjoy guarding valuables and are often hired by witches and wizards to do so. They will attack if that treasure is being threatened. Since there's no treasure she likely won't attack right now. Oh, and an additional fun fact is that sphinxes are very good at making riddles. That's how they guard treasure. By setting up riddles people have to solve."

Hagrid nodded and turned to Nefertari. He quirked a bushy brow when he saw her whispering in Xander's ear but he didn't mention it. "Tari, give us a riddle please."

The sphinx sat back on her haunches and licked her lips. "What has four legs like a lion but can still make love to a human man?"

The members of the class either gasped or snorted in amusement depending upon their sensibilities. Xander shrieked and fell down in his haste to get away from the paddock. Nefertari had eyes for no one but him and launched herself out of her enclosure to get to the man.

"The answer to my riddle was me, of course," she purred as she rubbed her furry face against Xander's neck and shoulders.

Hagrid looked at the scene with shook for several long minutes before he rushed over to the pair.

"Now Tari, just because you want ter mate with a man it doesn't mean he wants ter mate with you."

Nefertari growled at the half-giant and Hagrid snarled right back. "Class dismissed!" he called over his shoulder.

Everyone but Hermione, Harry, and Ron rushed away.

"Should we try and help?" Hermione asked as the sphinx circled Xander, keeping him close as she eyed Hagrid with sudden distaste.

"Do you know a good sphinx repelling spell?" Ron teased. "Or were you just going to call her a bad kitty?"

Hermione bit her lip and shook her head, unable to say what she'd really been thinking. Saying that you planned to pull away a creature ten times your body weight didn't make sense when your friends didn't know you had super strength.

"Let's just head back to the castle," Harry sighed. "It's almost time for brunch anyways. I'm sure Hagrid can handle this."

The trio turned to leave and were nearly halfway back to the castle when Xander went racing by, his clothes in tatters. "Why does this always happen to me?" he screeched.

Ron's eyebrows shot up. "We have got some awfully strange professors this year."

Harry and Hermione just nodded.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: In this chapter: Hermione and Draco's relationship is evolving and a masquerade is discussed. And yes, their costumes are super cheeky given the circumstances, a point which Spike will be taking note of in the next installment ;)**

* * *

Hermione collapsed on the couch in the Room of Requirement, her head pounding. "Is there any way to master Occulmency without feeling like your head is going to split open?"

"Not really," Malfoy admitted as he threw himself on the couch next to her. "But hey, at least you figured out a way for us to meet without the risk of Potter following us with that map."

Hermione winced. Sure she trusted Malfoy now but it still kind of felt wrong to have told him one of Harry's biggest secrets yet she'd had to so he'd understand the risks. "This solution won't last forever though."

Malfoy nodded his agreement. Hermione had begun borrowing the Marauder's Map once or twice a week, claiming that she needed it to sneak into the Restricted Section of the library. Harry had happily let her have it on the promise that she wouldn't be dragging him to study with her. The only drawback was, in order to make that story plausible, Malfoy and Hermione had to meet after curfew.

Hermione sighed and pushed herself up off the couch. "We should probably try another round or two before I pass out from exhaustion." Even she had to admit that Occulmency was the hardest magic she'd tried to learn so far, even harder than producing a Patronus.

But Malfoy surprised her by reaching out and pulling her back down on the couch next to him. "Let's just relax for the rest of the night. No more trying to break into each other's minds. And no more sparring either."

Hermione felt surprisingly comfortable with the suggestion even though, in the three odd months since they'd started their Watcher/Slayer arrangement, they'd never really done anything but train in some way.

"You have something in mind Malfoy?"

He tilted his head and gave her an appraising look. "You can call me Draco when we're alone if you'd like. I mean I figure we may as well be on a first name basis what with the fact that we occasionally trust each other with our lives."

Hermione smiled. "So let me rephrase that. You have something in mind Draco?"

Draco rolled her eyes. "Are you excited for the Halloween masquerade next weekend?"

"Not at all," Hermione scoffed. "Dancing. Costumes. Not really my cup of tea. Actually I may just sit the dance out and drink a cup of tea instead."

"Ah, come on. Your new Slayer reflexes should have definitely improved your dancing skills."

"I'm not sure it works like that. Sure I have increased strength and flexibility but it doesn't mean I have rhythm," Hermione pointed out. "And it's not just the dancing. Last time we had a Yule Ball? Well it didn't end well."

Draco leapt to his feet and screwed up his face in concentration. Hermione was just about to question the expression when music started playing and he offered her his hand. "Just forget about it all and let's test the theory on your dancing skills."

Once she accepted his hand he led her through a series of dances from a waltz to a foxtrot to a 'shake and shimmy with the beat' kind of dance. And to her surprise Hermione enjoyed herself far more than she had at the Yule Ball years earlier, a feeling she primarily attributed to the fact that, after months of Slayer training, she was more comfortable in her body than ever before.

So, in a way, Draco Malfoy's theory was exactly right. The music slowed and Draco looped her arms around the back of his neck, lacing his hands at the small of her back as they slowly revolved. "That wasn't so bad now, was it?" he teased.

"If only I could just spend the whole masquerade dancing with you." Hermione laughed then froze when she realized what she'd just said. She _wanted_ to dance to dance with Draco Malfoy. It was a startling thought. And Draco's response surprised her even more.

"It is a masquerade," he reminded her. "As long as our costumes are good enough we could dance all night without anyone realizing it was us."

Hermione took a deep breath and peered out from behind her bed hangings. And, just as she'd expected, her dorm room was incredibly messy but also empty. The rest of the occupants had left for the masquerade nearly ten minutes earlier.

She frantically rushed around the room as she undid all the charms she'd put in place to hide her costume and other supplies. It had been a right pain in the arse to plan for the masquerade all while insisting that there was absolutely nothing her friends could do to convince her to go.

But she'd done it. She even had Harry's map and Invisibility Cloak so she could meet Draco in the Room of Requirement without any stray students noticing a late Gryffindor attendee and putting two and two together.

It didn't take her long to get ready, not with the beauty spells she'd been practicing when her roommates hadn't been in the room. "But if it's so easy why did I have to listen to Lavender and the others complaining about their hair and makeup for over two hours?" she muttered as she cast the last spell, the one that would temporarily change her eyes from brown to hazel.

She stepped back to inspect herself in the mirror. The lighter eyes, darker hair, and powered face, not to mention the lacy black eye mask, made her neigh on unrecognizable.

All in all, it was perfect.

So, after lifting her skirts and tucking her wand in one thigh holster and a stake in the other, she carefully slid the Invisibility Cloak over her head and carefully made her way to meet Draco.

Draco paced the Room of Requirement as he waited for her. He'd gotten ready there instead of with the rest of the Slytherins after having made an excuse about an emergency meeting with his godfather Severus Snape.

He kept adjusting his high collar and cape, not because it was uncomfortable (it was actually very similar to what he wore are formal winter dinners with his family) but because he was nervous.

Somehow that one night of dancing with Hermione had changed everything. After he'd first met her he couldn't stop thinking about her because she'd been an enigma. He'd been taught that Muggleborns were inferior in every way and yet she'd bested him at all their classes but Flying. She'd been intriguing. Then he'd become focused on her training, up at all hours of the night as he worried about keeping her alive.

Now he couldn't stop thinking about touching her in other, gentler, ways. It was driving him batty. Kind of ironic given the Dracula costume.

He was still reliving their dances when the door to the Room of Requirement slid open and Hermione walked in. Only with her makeup, magically changed features, and deep purple Victorian gown she didn't look a thing like the Granger he knew. Not that she looked bad, just different.

"So are we going to the ball or are we just going to stand here staring at each other?" Hermione joked when more than a minute passed and he still hadn't said a word or made a move in her direction.

"You look better when you're you," Draco blurted out.

Hermione's mouth fell open in surprise but she recovered quickly. "Well I don't really approve of your mustache either."

The two laughed and then Draco finally offered her his arm. "Come Miss Mina. The masque awaits."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Okay, usually I don't separate scenes like I did but here's a bit more from the masquerade because who doesn't like a party?**

* * *

"Ding ding. We found our vampire," Xander joked when the couple walked through the door. The Sunnydale gang had made a bet on several things like whether anyone would dress like a vampire and, if so, would it be a Gryffindor or a Slytherin? (No one thought the mild mannered Hufflepuffs or clever Ravenclaws would risk offending their new professors.)

"So who are our Dracula and Mina Harker?" Willow asked Spike who had been outing people most of the night. At first they'd tried guessing who was dressed as who but the costumes were so well done that they'd failed every time. (Just like they'd fail if there was a costume contest since Dawn had refused to dress like Scooby-Doo and complete their ensemble.)

Spike turned towards the couple and took a deep breath and then frowned as the couple walked to one of the tables set for two. "Bloody hell. That's a shocker," he said as 'Dracula' gallantly pulled a chair out for 'Mina.'

"What's shocking?" Buffy demanded.

"Our cheeky little mystery couple is none other than Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger," Spike announced.

Buffy, Xander, and Willow gaped at him. "But they hate each other!" Buffy protested.

Spike purposefully slid an arm around Buffy's waist, his scarred eyebrow raised. "Yes, because people who once hated each other can't change their minds and start a relationship."

"Not in front of the kids," Buffy admonished as she slipped out of his grip. "But I see your point."

Xander nodded. "I've seen them fight, it's pretty explosive. I bet the sex is hot." Then realizing that they'd just compared Draco and Hermione to Spike and Buffy he shuddered. "Eww. Gross. Forget I said that. Bad images. Bad images in the brain."

"Maybe if you asked someone to dance it would help clear your mind," Willow suggested.

"Sorry Will, I love you and all but I am not willing to embarrass myself by dancing in front of these kids unless there's a chance I might get lucky."

Willow rolled her eyes and sighed. "That wasn't my way of asking you to dance with me, I was suggesting you ask Aurora Sinistra. She keeps looking at you."

Xander looked over his shoulder. Willow was right, the tall Professor of Astronomy was looking at him in a way that could very well indicate that she'd say yes to a dance with him. But, at the same time, the look could also indicate countless other, less appealing options. "Maybe she's just staring because I look like a drugged out homeless guy."

Spike suddenly stalked away, walking right by Sinistra on his way to the refreshment table and right by her on his way back, two glasses of a golden drink in his hands. "She's definitely interested in something or someone," he explained when the rest of the Scoobies stared at him in surprise.

Xander's eyebrows shot up. "And you know that how?"

The vampire smirked. "Just like I know everything else. I smelled it."

Willow's nose wrinkled at that revelation. "That's so creepy."

"You weren't complaining when I was using that sense to identify costumed students."

Buffy reached out and pulled Xander close while the others continued to argue. "You should ask Aurora to dance. If she says yes then you have a pretty lady to dance with."

"And if she says no?"

"Then Spike and I have a god awful amount of alcohol in our room that could be donated to the cause," Buffy whispered.

"Okay, okay," Xander gave in, speaking loud enough to get Spike and Willow's attention. "I'll ask her but I want you to ask someone to dance too Will. Someone who has not been to California recently."

"That isn't fair," Willow protested. "You at least have an inclination that she wants to dance with you. But me? It's a little harder what with the whole lesbian thing going on."

Xander crossed his arms over his chest. "I said you had to ask someone to dance, not that you had to be interested in them."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Just because we're in a school it doesn't mean we have to act like teenagers. So go on and ask people to dance instead of just talking about it. I know I'd like to dance with my date."

Spike looked like he was about to protest until Buffy dragged him a few feet away and pulled him far closer than two professors should have been dancing when in front of their students.

"Okay, let's do this," Xander muttered. As he and Willow moved away they could just barely hear the Slayer and vampire murmuring behind them.

"Didn't you get trained in ballroom dancing when you were younger? You know, given the fact that you're ancient and all that."

"Mum may have taught me how to dance but that doesn't mean I had much of an opportunity to put said skills into action. I did hit up a couple balls with Dru but we weren't exactly focused on the dance floor if you know what I mean."

"Stop talking. I really don't need to hear any more details."

Willow chuckled and Xander made a noise of disgust. "They're just…ugh. I still don't like that she's with him," he said then stopped to look his red haired friend in the eye. "Well, good luck."

"You too," she said then casually strolled around just long enough to watch the astronomy professor accept Xander's hand and then she headed towards her own target. She was running with Xander's last suggestion, choosing someone she wasn't romantically interested in.

He was, of course, sitting alone and as far away from the dancing as was possible. She approached him cautiously, half expecting him to pull a wand on her the second he saw her.

"Hey Professor Snape. Would you like to dance with me?"

The long haired professor sneered up at her. "If this is your way of expressing interest Ms. Rosenberg ˗"

Willow couldn't help but laugh. "Um, that is definitely not where I was going with this. I mean, didn't you see inside my head already?"

Snape's sneer turned into a frown and his eyes narrowed. "What does that have to do with this conversation?"

Willow gaped at him. "Uh, I guess I just assumed…well I guess you missed it. I am definitely not interested in you, not like that, because I am only attracted to women. I am very much a lesbian."

That statement seemed to crack through the surliness of the Potions Master and Willow saw a facial expression she'd never seen on his face before. It suggested confusion and surprise, as did the words that accompanied it. "Oh. If that's the case…regardless of that fact, it still does not explain why you are over here."

Willow shrugged and sat down across from him even though she hadn't been invited to. "You're always in a bad mood and you're always alone so I thought hey, maybe he's lonely. And I'm curious about that Potion you assigned the Fourth Years."

The talk of the school the next day wasn't about the band or the costumes. Not it was the fact that more than one student claimed to have seen Professors Snape and Rosenberg chatting for hours.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: So here's for a long installment, the second to last one! There's a little romance and a big revelation. I hope you like it!**

* * *

It was three weeks after Halloween and just days after their second Hogsmeade visit of the school year when Hermione had a sudden realization. There were hidden passageways from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade and Apparition from Hogsmeade was perfectly legal. So Hermione and Draco started doing just that at least two or three times a week.

Patrolling after weeks of training and hiding their secret was particularly refreshing even though it took so long to sneak out of and back into the school that they were losing out on even more sleep than usual. But they were fighting so well. At least until the night when they weren't.

Hermione lost all sight of Draco when the demon smacked her across the face and sent her tumbling right on her ass. But the fall did give her time to pull out her wand and freeze him, or her (it was so hard to tell) and then the oogy boogy was no more.

And that just left the two vamps who were attacking Draco. She assessed the situation and her heart lurched. Somehow, some way, Draco's stake was in the hand of one of the vamps.

Hermione launched herself at the enemy and it was over in a matter of seconds but the heart pounding panic hadn't stopped. She spun around to face her Watcher. "How did they get the drop on you? I thought you had them!"

Draco brushed off his shirt. "I did. I still had my wand. And my fists."

"Your wand's not much help considering that it's still in your holster," Hermione pointed out. "So what's up? Why are you so off your game?"

"Because that beast knocked you down!" Draco exploded, pointing out towards the goopy remains of the demon Hermione had just taken out. "It's been awhile since we've had any problems. I guess I just forgot how dangerous this can be."

Hermione didn't say a word, not at first. Instead she just stepped towards him and wrapped him in her arms. "We're in this together," she murmured. "I've got your back if you've got mine."

Draco pulled back just enough to look her in the eye. "Of course."

And then their lips were meeting in a bruising kiss and their hearts started pounding for a completely different reason.

The kiss was still on their minds when nearly an hour later Draco helped Hermione out of the statue of the one eyed witch. That's why neither of them noticed they were being watched by the only man in all of Hogwarts who could smell the demon on them.

* * *

Spike didn't bring up his suspicions until the last Defense class before the Christmas holidays. They had started assigning students to fight in front of the class so that everyone, students and teachers alike, could evaluate techniques and discuss them afterwards. And it was going well, primarily because the kids were being paired based on their skill level.

Which was why everyone stared in shock when Spike called out the first pairing of the day.

"Dawn Summers and Hermione Granger."

"What are you doing?" Buffy hissed. Even Giles, who was sitting in on the class, looked concerned and he wasn't even fully aware of just how badly Hermione was doing in the course.

Spike watched as Dawn rushed over to the mat and started her stretches while Hermione moved much more slowly. Everyone else in the room likely thought she kept looking over her shoulder at her fellow Gryffindors for support but Spike knew she wasn't. No, she was sharing looks with Malfoy who sat two rows behind Potter and Weasley.

"Oh, there's a method to my madness," Spike finally whispered back.

Buffy's nod was curt. "Fine but you have to carry Granger to the hospital wing when this is over."

Spike smiled and turned to the class. "Dawn. Hermione. Ready?" Once both girls nodded he counted down from three and made certain he was in the perfect spot to see everything.

The fight started out just like everyone would have expected, with Dawn on the offensive and Hermione barely able to block any of the blows. And then Dawn knocked the Gryffindor to the ground and said the worst possible thing she could have said and she said it loud enough that everyone in the room heard.

"How's it feel to finally fail at something?" she gloated.

The last word had barely left Dawn's lips when her legs were swept out from underneath her and Hermione leapt to her feet. Dawn rolled with her fall and popped back up halfway across the mat. "Lucky shot."

Hermione adjusted her stance and her eyes narrowed. "I'm just getting started."

She rushed forward and everyone stared in awe at what had just become the second best fight of the class, second only behind the demonstrations Buffy and Spike gave. Both girls were swinging fists, kicking, ducking, and dodging like nobody's business.

It was Giles who first noticed something unusual. "Hermione's purposefully ignoring the openings Dawn is leaving."

Buffy's eyes widened and she turned to Spike. She didn't say a word but he took his cue and stepped forward. "Girls! Stop."

The brunettes did as they were told and turned to face their teachers. Dawn was panting and Hermione hadn't even broken a sweat but her eyes were wild. Clearly she hadn't been planning on revealing herself. But since it had happened, and in front of a class even, Spike wanted to take full advantage of the situation.

"Let's make this more of a fair fight," Spike suggested. "How about Buffy and I against Granger and Malfoy?"

The two teens shared a long look over the heads of their stunned and confused classmates. Then they nodded.

The fight between the blonde men and their partners started as the rest of the class stared on in shock. Then everyone gasped, Dawn the loudest, when Hermione's first punch landed and Buffy grunted in pain.

After that it was madness and those who knew anything about fighting knew the fighters weren't holding anything back.

And it was also clear to the class that it wasn't the first time Hermione and Draco had teamed up in such a capacity. They always seemed to be aware of one another in the same way Buffy and Spike were. That's why, when Giles commanded them to stop fifteen minutes later there still wasn't a clear winner. There were bruises and possibly broken bones but no one was really more or less battered than anyone else.

The California gang gave Hermione and Draco an appraising look while the class watched on.

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "So we've had another Slayer around all this time."

Hermione nodded and Draco spoke up from his place beside her. "And her Watcher. Unofficially of course. How long have you known?" he directed towards Spike.

The vampire shrugged. "A couple of weeks. At first I thought you were just sneaking around to shag but then you returned from a late night excursion reeking of demon and that was that."

"It bloody well is not!" Ron shouted as he and Harry stumbled away from their classmates. He was visibly shaken.

Harry, on the other hand, just looked hurt and very confused. "Why didn't you tell us Hermione?"

Giles sighed and slipped his glasses off to rub the bridge of his nose. "Perhaps we should move this conversation elsewhere. And I will excuse you from your next classes," he said, indicating the rest of the class.

They all nodded and silently trudged out of the classroom.

Once they were in Giles's magically enlarged office, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall and Xander and Willow were summoned. Then Buffy turned to Hermione and Draco. "Explain. Now."

Hermione started in on how she'd first felt odd at the end of the last year then Draco picked up the story with his realization and subsequent training of his former enemy.

"What I still don't understand is why you didn't come to us," Harry said once they'd fallen silent.

Hermione and Draco didn't say a word but they did share a look. A look that made Dumbledore chuckle. When the others stared at him he just smiled in Hermione and Draco's direction before turning to face Giles. "Perhaps this wasn't the original excuse but are there restrictions on how close a Slayer and a Watcher can get?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

The junior Slayer and Watcher in question just blushed as Giles looked at them in surprise. "Well yes, there are rules."

"That's putting it mildly," Buffy muttered.

"However the Watchers Council as it used to be is no more," Giles finished.

"Wait…Hermione and Malfoy are too close?" Ron squeaked then turned to his best female friend. "He can't mean…are you sleeping with the enemy?"

Hermione's blush deepened and spread down her chest. "No Ron, no sleeping. Not that that means we've been doing things other than sleeping." She fell silent before she could say anything else incriminating.

"Relationships aside, we need to start training you in an official capacity," Buffy announced. "And fight how you did with me, not what you've been doing in class. No holding back."


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: I am so sorry that I didn't get this chapter posted earlier! Now I imagine some of you will think this chapter ends a bit quickly but given the circumstances I say it makes perfect sense. I hope you like it and look forward to a short epilogue within the next ten days!**

* * *

Hermione and Draco took Buffy's advice to heart and didn't hold back anything, not even their budding relationship. They sparred on the lawn in full view of everyone whenever they had free time. They were frequently seen studying together at the library. And right around Valentine's Day, once Harry and Ron had finally started to accept if not like the interloper, Draco started sitting at the Gryffindor table during at least one meal a day.

At first it was weird for everyone but the students were resilient. House relations were at an all time high and even the professors commented on it.

McGonagall watched in amazement as Daphne Greengrass waved Cho Chang over to the Slytherin table. The two girls peered at a scroll and laughed before going their separate ways. Cho hadn't shown any signs of nervousness and the Slytherins hadn't booed or hissed or shown any sighs of caring about the visit.

"Finally, after all these years Albus! Interhouse unity!" McGonagall said with tears in her eyes. "Isn't it wonderful?"

The Headmaster nodded but didn't smile. "It is Minerva, it truly is. But I'm not sure it will survive what is to come."

After the Easter holidays everything changed. Defense classes, magical and physical, took precedence over everything else with many classes cut in half. Hermione and Draco were even asked to help train their classmates.

And then, on a bright late spring morning the week before finals, all hell broke loose. It happened over breakfast when a strange owl delivered a Howler to one Mr. Harry James Potter.

Ron looked at the red envelope with distaste but didn't say anything around his mouth of food.

"Who'd you piss off now?" Draco asked as the whole school stared.

Harry shrugged. "I dunno," he said then slit the paper open before it exploded.

A horrible voice, magnified so everyone could hear, filled the hall.

"The time has come Harry Potter and the question is, will you face your death alone or will you have even more of your friends and family die for you? I will be waiting for your answer on the Front Lawn tomorrow at dawn."

The room fell dead silent for about fifteen seconds before the crying and the screaming started. Everyone knew who had just threatened Harry Potter even though most had never heard his voice.

But one person didn't say a word, he just stared at the smoldering remains of the Howler.

Surprisingly enough it was Draco who pulled the Boy Who Lived out of his stupor. The Slytherin stood up and gently tugged on the dark haired boy's arm. "Come on Potter. Let's go see the Professors."

The Golden Trio plus their entourage (Draco, Ginny, Luna, and Neville) approached the teachers table. It was slow going since most of the students were trying to figure out if they should stay in the Great Hall or run far away.

It was Hermione who finally spoke up when they got close enough that the professors would be able to hear over the chaos. "What do we do?"

Dumbledore closed his eyes as though he were in pain then opened them wide. "We have been preparing for this all year so we will do what we must. Ms. Rosenberg? Severus? Is the potion ready?"

The Potions Master and his Apprentice shared a look but nodded. "The castle and grounds should be doused once the sun sets," Willow instructed.

"And tomorrow morning we will see if the concoction is a success," Snape added.

A heavy silence descended as they took that in. They all knew of Voldemort's plan to overcome them by taking away their magic. It was strange to not know if their counter measures would even work. It wouldn't be until the fight actually started that they'd know whether it would be magic versus magic or wands versus fists.

Dumbledore stood up and magnified his voice so that everyone could hear. "Fourth Years and younger return to your dorms and pack your necessities and we will send you to safety as soon as we can. Everyone else, make your decision now. Stay in the Great Hall if you want to fight but know that I will not think badly of you if you choose to leave with the younger students. Hagrid, Minerva, contact our reinforcements. Tomorrow we go to war."

The preparations started as soon as the youngsters left the Great Hall. Only a handful of the older students, one or two from each house, left with them. The ones who had stayed practiced their spellwork and hand to hand combat until Willow and Snape returned with crates filled to the brim with vials of sky blue liquid.

"Take a vial everyone," Willow instructed. "The professors will then tell you where to take it. When the gong sounds pour the liquid out the windows and let it drip down the sides of the castle."

"It should imbue the stone and grounds with its properties so that tomorrow, when the first waves of spells are cast against us, they will dissipate," Snape continued.

Hermione frowned at the vial she suddenly found in her hand. "Aren't there easier ways to get the same result?" she asked out loud.

Willow caught her eye and winked. "Not the same result, not exactly. This contains something a little extra."

Once given their assignments the students, past and present, because of course the Order of the Phoenix had arrived, and professors rushed to the windows they were to pour from.

They watched in awe as the blue coated the castle and then disappeared in a flash of bright white light.

And then all they could do was wait, pray, hope, wish, and try to get what little rest they could.

Sleep was hard to find.

* * *

It took nearly an hour for Voldemort and his army to take down the outer protective bubble and then they were marching right up to the front doors. The fighters nearest the door could see Voldemort's lips form the words of the anti-magic spell he'd created.

And then he let the curse fly and a jet of black hit the castle and a spark of pure white flared up before quickly dying back down.

"What just happened?" Ron whispered.

"Wait for it…wait for it…" Willow whispered back.

Those in the castle watched, unsure of what exactly they were waiting for until Bellatrix Lestrange flicked her wand and nothing happened.

Hermione gasped as she realized what was going on. "The potion bounced the curse off the castle and onto them. Their magic is gone!"

Snape finally spoke up. "Ours is gone as well, we couldn't negate that, but at least we're even now." He nodded at Willow, a touch of what looked like pride on his face.

Buffy moved through the crowd until she was right at the front. "And now we kick ass. My way."

To say the Death Eaters were shocked when an army rushed towards them with fists raised was an understatement. Clearly they hadn't expected the students to be prepared to fight in such a manner.

It was easy really because as mad and mean as the Death Eaters were they weren't trained in hand to hand combat. The path to Voldemort was clear within minutes even with the time it took Hermione and Draco to dispatch Nagini.

And then it seemed as though time froze. Harry and Voldemort stood less than a foot away from one another, glaring.

"You're finished," Harry spat.

Voldemort didn't even try to block the punch the Chosen One threw.

When Harry's fist connected with his foe's face time seemed to snap back into place and then speed forward. Voldemort's already pale skin turned even paler and wrinkle lines spread across his face. He keeled over right then and there, a dusty puff of air exploding from his lungs and hovering in the air above his body.

A cry of despair rose up from the Death Eaters who were still conscious. Dumbledore strode through them until he reached Harry and the body. "Tom Riddle is dead," he murmured after checking for a pulse. "I shall contact the Ministry and let them know they have prisoners to collect."

Harry couldn't take his eyes off the shriveled corpse at his feet. After all this time he'd expected a tougher fight. "How did this happen?"

Dumbledore clapped him on the shoulder. "By the time you first met him Tom Riddle was more magic than human. When his anti-magic curse bounced back to him it was the last straw. A punch like that would finish any old man who was already near death. But don't feel badly Harry. He wasn't just an old man."

"It's over Harry," Ron said.

Harry sighed in relief and finally cracked a smile.

"The curse blocking our magic will reverse at sunset," Snape announced as he sidled up beside them.

"And by then our captives will be in Ministry custody," McGonagall added.

The cheers could be heard halfway to Hogsmeade.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: And so we've reached the end. As I said in the previous chapter, I can kind of see where someone might have thought my version of the Final Battle was a bit of a cop out which I would completely understand since it barely lasted a couple paragraphs. But...the vast majority of the Death Eaters are in their 40s so, take away magic, and you have a group of untrained 40 year olds fighting against a group of 17-30 year olds who have been training in physical combat for nearly a year. Of course the fight didn't last long ;)**

 **I enjoyed writing up this wonderful mashup. I hope you all have enjoyed it as well!**

* * *

 **Six Months Later**

"So you're sure you don't want to go back to the states?" Ron asked Willow as everyone gathered in the large open space. "Weasley family reunions are just mad."

Willow laughed. "Believe me, I am okay with that. At least you'll all be okay with my witchy tendencies. My family isn't. Except that's wrong now I guess since you are my family."

Ron couldn't help but chuckle too. They'd been surprised but happy when, after the final Battle, Mr. Weasley had been introduced to the red head from California and suddenly remembered an estranged great aunt who had moved to the states when he was young. Said aunt had bore a passing resemblance to Willow and, after some research, Mr. Weasley had found that the aunt had married a man named William Rosenberg, Willow's grandfather.

And now Molly was planning a whole huge reunion so that Willow could meet all of her family from England.

Xander suddenly shot out of the crowd, nearly toppling into the red heads. "Hey! Just cause you're all related doesn't mean you can ignore us."

"Weren't you just sucking face with your girl?" Spike growled. "Last time I checked that involved ignoring everyone else too."

"At least Aurora and I aren't that bad," Xander nodded towards the far wall where a little impromptu fight between Hermione and Draco had dissolved into a little impromptu making out.

Buffy and Dawn walked up towards their friends and noticed the little tongue battle going on between the Witchy Slayer and her Watcher. "Hey! None of that in my training center!" Buffy called out, effectively drawing everyone's attention to the public display of affection.

"Our training center," Spike clarified as Ron walked up to join them. The red head was complaining, once again, about how disgusting it was that Hermione was sleeping with the enemy. ("And your other best friend is sleeping with your sister so there's that!" Dawn couldn't help but cheekily add.)

"Yes, "our" as in the place belongs to the vast majority of the people standing in this room right now," Giles pointed out. "Should we make it all official?" he asked the group.

Buffy, Spike, and Giles stood in the middle of the crowd and Giles cleared his throat to make all the announcements and thank everyone who was attendance.

Everyone, Slayers, witches and wizards couldn't help but smile as they looked at the open space that would be the gym of the new Watcher's Council. The Council was to be headed up by Giles, the rest of the crew from California, and surprisingly enough, Harry, who planned on working with them part time and studying to be an Auror while Hermione and Draco taught Defense, both magical and physical, at Hogwarts. Ron would be working on being an Auror full-time though his friends had a sneaking suspicion he'd also be spending more time with the younger Summers sister. The pair had gotten quite close.

There were many things already planned for the upcoming school year at Hogwarts, things that would have members of the Council visiting Hogwarts and Hogwarts students and Professors visiting the new Watcher's Council. Even the Ministry, recovered now that Voldemort's followers were no more, was interested in the reforms Dumbledore, with the help of Giles, were hoping to instill. Everyone would learn what they could about the worlds they weren't familiar with, in hopes that everyone would feel more at ease with things they didn't understand. The new supernatural world would be one where everyone felt like they belonged be they Slayer, witch, ghost, or ensoulled vampire.

The Big Bad had been defeated. Life continued. And they were prepared for anything.


End file.
